Published Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 11:45
by
Editor
(1620 views and 10 comments)
A much favored cure for global warming might be worse than the disease. According to a new report the use hydrogen and other biofuels will make energy prices more changeable, increase food prices and even result in a higher emission of greenhouse gases.
The Round Table on Sustainable Development of the OECD has recently published a study (PDF) on the consequences of a massive increase of the use of biofuels. It argues that EU governments’ support for biofuels will cause food shortages and lead to the destruction of natural habitats - while making little impact on climate change. The OECD suggests that the EU plans to obtain 10 percent of its transport fuel from plants by 2020 will have little or no effect on climate change.
The OECD expresses doubts that the technical means exist to produce biofuels in ways that enable the world to meet demand for transportation energy in more secure and less harmful ways without compromising the ability to feed a growing population. This runs counter to studies like the one published by the WorldWatch Institute in 2006, which argues in favor of biofuels, if high standards of sustainability are met in its production.
What do you think? Should the EU scrap its ambitious target to obtain 10 percent transport fuel from plants in 2020? Surely it must be possible to produce biofuel without compromising food production and destroying the environment?
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Comments
1. Food or biofuel? by taipale
on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 17:51
Great piece of information to start the debate with, thanks! On the one hand, agriculture is the holy cow (sorry for the ugly allegory) of the EU; every European cow earns more in subsidies than those millions of people who have to survive on a dollar a day. At the same time, the EU is slow in dismantling trade barriers that prevent developing countries from exporting their agricultural products to us. (Please, correct me if I'm wrong!) Hence, there is a temptation to see the recent European enthusiasm in promoting biofuels as just another trick to get more subsidies to European farmers. Or, could it help open doors to food imports from developing countries? Does any one of you know? However, we'll always have at least some sun, a lot of wind and plenty of geothermal heat, why not rather subsidize the increased use of them?2. Socially and environmentally sustainable environmental policies by editor on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 16:45
You’re raising some interesting issues here! We would like to bring sustainable energy and the developing world up again in the coming week. What do you think the PES manifesto should say? Should we generally be against the use of biofuels – or?3. A cure for what??? by Migeru on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 16:17
"A much favored cure for global warming might be worse than the disease. According to a new report the use hydrogen and other biofuels will make energy prices more changeable, increase food prices and even result in a higher emission of greenhouse gases." Since when have biofuels been a cure for global warming? They are at best a temporary stop-gap measure to deal with Peak Oil. That is, biofuels have always been about "evergy security" and never about greenhause gases. After all, biofuels means to grow crops and burn them for fuel.4. Surely... by Migeru on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at 16:29
"What do you think? Should the EU scrap its ambitious target to obtain 10 percent transport fuel from plants in 2020? Surely it must be possible to produce biofuel without compromising food production and destroying the environment?" Surely you haven't done the math. The entire oil production of the EU is not enough to replace 10% of the diesel use, and the entire EU export capacity of ethanol crops is not enough to replace 10% of the gasoline use. In fact, the EU would be hard-pressed to meet even its old 5.75% target.5. Biofuels and global warming - response to comment 3 by editor on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 14:51
@Migeru First of all, many thanks for your comments! Well, if grown and transported in the right way, biofuels can be more than a stop-gap measure. Burning biofuels usually releases as much CO2 as the plants have taken out of the atmosphere while growing. Theoretically, of course, as then you have to process and transport it, which can only be done by using other sources of energy. However, you are right: biofuels are not the only answer to climate change, and certainly not the most important one in the long run.6. Bad math? - response to comment 4 by editor on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 14:53
@Migeru You are absolutely right about the maths: but then, there is always the option to import raw material from other parts of the planet, where conditions are much better than inside the EU. This might help to achieve the 10% target for biofuels. And everyone hopes for so-called second-generation biofuels, which process organic raw material by using enzymes. This opens up a whole new range of sources for biofuels and other products, as you can use almost all sorts of organic material.7. First-generation biofuels by Migeru on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 17:04
are a non-starter. Importing raw materials (Palm oil from Indonesia? Sugar cane from Brazil?) only exports the environmental impact. It's neither sustainable nor compatible with a responsible EU foreign policy. This ties in with the "Europe in the World" theme: the EU cannot afford to build its future on a neocolonial relationship with developing countries and first-generation biofuels would lead to just that. As for second-generation biofuels, as they are an experimental technology I have to admit to having no idea what the potential production from the EU can be. Are there any sources of estimates about this, or is it just wishful thinking? Are there better things that one can do with organic materials that *burn* them? Would they be better used for repairing the topsoil depletion from centuries of unsustainable farming practices across Europe? The EU should try to reconfigure its transportation infrastructure to reduce the need for liquid fuels.8. Shameles plug by Migeru on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 17:06
Over at European Tribune we actually submitted a short paper to the EU consultation on biofuels. You can read it here: http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2006/7/10/125139/4399. Second generation biofuels by editor on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 17:37
@Migeru All over the planet the use of land for food or feed production has been actually reduced over the past decade. Particularly in the US and Europe. This is a first step to extend production of sugarcane, maize, rapeseed etc. without jeopardizing food production. So, not all production of raw material for 1st generation biofuels are necessarily unsustainable or a danger for food supply. However, the first generation of biofuels will not save the planet, but it opens up markets for bio-based products like fuel. The second generation can use hay or straw, chipped wood and many other forms of organic material which is by now largely considered waste. Fuel is only one result of it, and it may well cover the 10% target. Difficult to say, but worth to develop. And it is not only about burning these organic materials, as polymers are another possible product which depends so far on oil. It is in fact an experimental field, but well developed. It is definitely not utopia, but just around the corner, if markets develop. As for neocolonial relations between developing countries and the EU: there is a real danger that things develop into this direction, but that’s what politics is about. We are not observers, who comment on seemingly unavoidable catastrophes, but we have the capacity to act. However, you know as well as I know that writing about changing things like colonial relations or transport systems and changing it in reality are different things. A transportation infrastructure is a big thing indeed, and to build the one we have might have taken 70 years. But I do not want to discourage anyone here :-)To be able to post comments you need to be logged in. No account yet? Register here! Lost your password?